States, firms, and oil : British policy, 1939-54

New evidence from the records of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now British Petroleum) and Shell for the period, 1939-45 supplements accounts of British oil relations based on state archives. This historical account demonstrates the continuity between the interwar industry cartel and the Allied wartime collaboration orchestrated through industry committees. The companies made use of their quasi-official position to manage crisis of prewar arrangements aggravated by the war which presaged the rapid expansion of postwar Middle East production. The companies then shaped the Anglo-American Oil Agreements of 1944 and 1945, establishing a basis for remaking their position in the Middle East, expanding the web of interfirm relations. The nationalisation of Anglo- Iranian in 1951 threatened the web and the companies were able to embargo nationalised Iranian oil and thus bankrupt the state. This society of oil majors was constituted by shared understandings and interests cultivated by the companies. Structures of private governance may be quite significant factors for states allied to them. The United Kingdom was more closely tied into the system of private governance that prevailed in international oil in the middle decades of the century than was the United States and consequently was able to call on more resources to resist United States initiatives during this period. British influence persisted in the oil issue-area, in spite of greater United States resources overall, because of this close working relationship between state and companies. Close examination of the relationship reveals the extent of penetration by the companies into both the decision-malting and implementation of foreign relations. The `national' interest was thus articulated through an interplay of Governmental and corporate agendas, and this supports a general argument that `national' power is not exercised solely by the state, but by the state in cooperation with other powerful social institutions. Non-state actors and their archives may enrich the study of foreign relations

Effect of different organo-mineral fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of Perlette grapeII. Effect on yield and quality

The present study on grape nutrition was carried out with a view to find out the effects of different organo-mineral fertilizers on yield and quality of Perlette grape. The results obtained are summarized below.T15 (bonemeal 0.5 kg + neemcake 0.5 kg + bloodmeal 0.5 kg + calcium ammonium nitrate 0.990 kg + superphosphate 0.456 kg + muriate of potash 0.813 kg) gave maximum number of bunches per plant followed by T13 (bonemeal 0.5 kg + bloodmeal 0.5 kg + calcium ammonium nitrate 1.22 kg + superphosphate 0.487 kg + muriate of potash 0.825 kg) in the year 1973-74 while in the year 1972-73 they exchanged their positions. The same treatments also produced the longest bunches having maximum diameter in both the years. Mean weight of the bunches and volume of bunches were also highest under T15, closely followed by T13 and T12 (bonemeal 0.5 kg + neemcake 0.5 kg + calcium ammonium nitrate 1.014 kg + superphosphate 0.500 kg + muriate of potash 0.822 kg). As a conseqμence, maximum yield was recorded under T15, followed by T13. Maximum TSS content was observed under T15 and maximum acidity under T1 (calcium ammonium nitrate 1.22 kg + superphosphate 0.782 kg + muriate of potash 0.833 kg). Maximum total sugar content and reducing sugar content were noted under T15 while maximum non-reducing sugar content was observed under T16 (farm yard manure 8 kg+ bonemeal 0.5 kg + neemcake 0.5 kg + bloodmeal 0.5 kg + calcium ammonium nitrate 0.629 kg + muriate of potash 0.640 kg).Einfluß verschiedener organisch-mineralischer Dünger auf Wachstum, Ertrag und Qualität bei der Rebensorte PerletteII. Beeinflussung von Ertrag und Qualität Organisch-mineralische Düngergemische unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung wirkten sich folgendermaßen auf den Ertrag und die Traubenqualität der Rebensorte Perlette aus:Im Versuchsjahr 1973-74 wurde durch Düngung mit T15 (0,5 kg Knochenmehl + 0,5 kg Zedrach-Preßkuchen + 0,5 kg Blutmehl + 0,990 kg Kalkammonsalpeter + 0,456 kg Superphosphat+ 0,813 kg Chlorkalium) die höchste Anzahl von Trauben je Rebe erzielt; an zweiter Stelle folgle der Dünger T13 (0,5 kg Knochenmehl + 0,5 kg Blutmehl + 1,22 kg Kalkammonsalpeter + 0,487 kg Superphosphat + 0,825 kg Chlorkalium), 1973-74 war die Düngerwirkung umgekehrt. In beiden Jahren wurden unter dem Einfluß dieser zwei Düngervarlanten auch die längsten Trauben mit dem größten Durchmesser gebildet. Bei Anwendung von T15 wurde auch das höchste Durchschnittsgewicht und -volumen der Trauben gemessen; nur wenig darunter lagen T13 und T12 (0,5 kg Knochenmehl + 0,5 kg Zedrach-Preßkuchen + 1,014 kg Kalkammonsalpeter + 0,500 kg Superphosphat + 0,822 kg Chlorkalium). Infolgedessen war der Höchstertrag bei T15, gefolgt von T13, zu verzeichnen. Der höchste Gehalt an löslicher Trockensubstanz wurde bei T15, der höchste Säuregrad bei T1 (1,22 kg Kalkammonsalpeter + 0,782 kg Superphosphat + 0,833 kg Chlorkalium) festgestellt. Die höchsten Konzentrationen des Gesamtzuckers und der reduzierenden Zucker wurden bei T15 beobachtet; die höchste Konzentration der nichtreduzierenden Zucker erbrachte dagegen T16 (8 kg Stallmist + 0,5 kg Knochenmehl + 0,5 kg Zedrach-Preßkuchen + 0,5 kg Blutmehl + 0,629 kg Kalkammonsalpeter + 0,640 kg Chlorkalium)

Influence of drip lateral placement depth and fertigation level on germination, yield and water-use efficiency of cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

A field experiment was conducted from February to June for three years (2009-2011) to evaluate the response of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under 0 (surface) (D00), 5(D05), 10 (D10) and 15 (D15) cm depth of lateral placement and four levels of fertilizer application with NPK in the ratio of 50:30:30, 100:60:60, 120:90:90 and 150:120:120 kg/ ha (F1, F2, F3 and F4). Uniformity of water application through subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system was assessed every year. Soil moisture content in root zone, germination percentage, vine length and yield per plot were recorded and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was estimated.It was observed that soil moisture content was higher and moisture profile was more uniform under SDI. Shallower depths of lateral, D00 and D05, resulted in higher seed germination percentage (92.8 and 90.2 %). Increased moisture and nutrient availability under D10 and D15 resulted in higher vine length (2.49 and 2.36m). During 2011, treatments D10 and D15 recorded highest mean yields of 31.7 and 32.9 t/ha, respectively. Fertigation level F3 recorded consistently higher mean yields for three consecutive cropping seasons yielding higher mean IWUE under D10 (0.49 to 0.81 t/ha/cm) and D15 (0.50 to 0.85 t/ha/cm).The results showed that SDI maintained uniform moisture in soil profile, minimized the evaporative loss and consequently increased IWUE. The SDI system with lateral placement depth of10 cm and fertigation level F3 is recommended as an optimum practice for better yields and increased IWUE of cucumber cultivation. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down

Scale dependency of dynamic relative permeability curves in relation with fluid viscosity ratio and dynamic capillary pressure effect

Scale dependency of dynamic relative permeability curves in relation with fluid viscosity ratio and dynamic capillary pressure effec

Genome wide association studies and candidate gene mining for understanding the genetic basis of straw silica content in a set of Oryza nivara (Sharma et Shastry) accessions

Rice is a high-silica (SiO2·nH2O) accumulator. Silicon (Si) is designated as a beneficial element associated with multiple positive effects on crops. However, the presence of high silica content is detrimental to rice straw management, hampering its use as animal feed and as raw material in multiple industries. Rice straw management is a serious concern in north-western India, and it is eventually burned in situ by farmers, contributing to air pollution. A practical solution could lie in reducing the silica content in rice while also attaining sound plant growth. A set of 258 Oryza nivara accessions along with 25 cultivated varieties of Oryza sativa was used to assess the variation in straw silica content using the molybdenum blue colorimetry method. A large continuous variation was observed for straw silica content in O. nivara accessions, ranging from 5.08% to 16%, while it varied from 6.18% to 15.81% in the cultivated varieties. The O. nivara accessions containing 43%–54% lower straw silica content than the currently prominent cultivated varieties in the region were identified. A set of 22,528 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 258 O. nivara accessions was used for estimating population structure and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A weak population structure with 59% admixtures was identified among O. nivara accessions. Further, multi-locus GWAS revealed the presence of 14 marker-trait associations (MTAs) for straw silica content, with six of them co-localizing with previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL). Twelve out of 14 MTAs showed statistically significant allelic differences. Thorough candidate gene analyses revealed the presence of promising candidate genes, including those encoding the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, Casparian thickening, multi-drug and toxin extrusion (MATE) protein, F-box, and MYB-transcription factors. Besides, ortho-QTLs among rice and maize genomes were identified, which could open ways for further genetic analysis of this trait. The findings of the study could aid in further understanding and characterizing genes for Si transport and regulation in the plant body. The donors carrying the alleles for lower straw silica content can be used in further marker-assisted breeding programs to develop rice varieties with lower silica content and higher yield potential